Gallery: Vietnam Veterans Memorial - Washington, DC

[Chip NoVaMac]

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, otherwise known as "The Wall" has been a place that I love visiting often. Sometimes with a camera, sometimes with out.

This thread is about our past, present, and future images of that memorial.

These shots were taken on 5/28/06 on the day of the Rolling Thunder Demonstration. I hope that the mods will not mind us posting the pictures and our comments in individual posts in this thread.

My first picture is of someone that found the name of one that meant something in their life. For those that have never visited The Wall, it puts into terms the human cost of war. Though there are no burial plots there, this is much like visiting graveside for many.

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

During Rolling Thunder weekend, the participants in the ride find special meaning in the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. For many were doing duty in Vietnam, and lost many of their "brothers" in battle.

It is humbling to see strong men weep. To see strong men embrace each other as they grieve over their lost comrades. These strong men, so passionate on accounting for those still listed as MIA/POW.

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

Even those too young to remember someone that was lost well before they were born, come to remember. A popular remembrance is to come back with a "rubbing" of someone dear to you.

 

[iGary]

This is my favorite, by far:

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

There are many POW/MIA's still unaccounted for from the Vietnam war. CPR Carlos Ashlock was remembered by the POW/MIA bracelets that were popular back in the 70's and 80's; and still worn by those still unaccounted for.

SGT - E5 - Marine Corps - Regular
31 year old Single, Negro, Male
Born on May 19, 1945
From PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
His tour of duty began on May 12, 1967
Casualty was on Jul 08, 1976
in QUANG NAM, SOUTH VIETNAM
Hostile, died while missing
GROUND CASUALTY

Body was not recovered
Religion
BAPTIST

Panel 19E - - Line 91

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

What moves me most is what is left behind as a tribute to those that have fallen in that war. Hard to have much more comment on this image.

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

This is my favorite, by far:

Thanks Gary. This one is special to me too. One needs to read into all that is going on to fully appreciate what I was able to share in.

To be honest, there were shots that got away. I was too moved by the emotion of that moment to rise my camera. Other times well meaning friends of those that I wanted to photograph, moved in to block my view. I respected that.

The truth be told, I wept like a baby when taps was played during my brief visit to The Wall. Only to have one member of the Rolling Thunder group come up to me and embraced me as I wept.

 

[iGary]

Thanks Gary. This one is special to me too. One needs to read into all that is going on to fully appreciate what I was able to share in.

To be honest, there were shots that got away. I was too moved by the emotion of that moment to rise my camera. Other times well meaning friends of those that I wanted to photograph, moved in to block my view. I respected that.

The truth be told, I wept like a baby when taps was played during my brief visit to The Wall. Only to have one member of the Rolling Thunder group come up to me and embraced me as I wept.

Happy for your experience...I can't do any memorials this year, and not sure when I will be able to do so again (too much death for me this year), but I'm so glad you could share these.

 

[Heb1228]

Hey guys, let me know how these are. I felt like they were pretty good shots, but I'm no photographer and I know a lot of your guys are awesome at it.

EDIT: Chip, that shot in the OP is incredible.

 

[iGary]

Hey guys, let me know how these are. I felt like they were pretty good shots, but I'm no photographer and I know a lot of your guys are awesome at it.

Nice.

Looks like you missed a good moment with the older guy down a little bit farther - see where he is touchingthe wall?

 

[Heb1228]

Looks like you missed a good moment with the older guy down a little bit farther - see where he is touchingthe wall?

Yeah, I think I would have felt bad trying to get close for a picture. Plus that was when they were doing some work on the lighting, and you can see the other wall covered up in some of the shots. I think my favorite of those is the one with the Air Cav patch laying there. I can't really say why.

 

[iGary]

Yeah, I think I would have felt bad trying to get close for a picture. Plus that was when they were doing some work on the lighting, and you can see the other wall covered up in some of the shots. I think my favorite of those is the one with the Air Cav patch laying there. I can't really say why.

They are all good, and sometimes it's hard to get some shots without feeling like you are intruding. Just noticed it when I looked at your pics.

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

Happy for your experience...I can't do any memorials this year, and not sure when I will be able to do so again (too much death for me this year), but I'm so glad you could share these.

Thanks Gary. I know what you mean. It has been three years now that the WWII memorial has been open, and this weekend was the first time I visited.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is my special place to bring me back to earth, when life gets to much for me. I have no names on The Wall that are particularly close. Just fathers and mothers of those that I went to school with.

We left Vietnam a year before my 18th birthday. Had the war dragged on, I might be looking up names, or be there myself. I can't help but think what could have been of these lives lost.

Not just in Vietnam, but any where.

 

[iGary]

Thanks Gary. I know what you mean. It has been three years now that the WWII memorial has been open, and this weekend was the first time I visited.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is my special place to bring me back to earth, when life gets to much for me. I have no names on The Wall that are particularly close. Just fathers and mothers of those that I went to school with.

We left Vietnam a year before my 18th birthday. Had the war dragged on, I might be looking up names, or be there myself. I can't help but think what could have been of these lives lost.

Not just in Vietnam, but any where.

In a way, your pictures, especially the WWII one bring bad good, yet painful, running memories - I remember running through the construction area for the WWII memorial at 4:30 in the morning on some of my long runs, and then when it was finished, I always told myself I had to get down and see it. Was kind of neat seeing it every week thorugh the shole process. Glad you got to experience it. The images are all great and convey a lot of emotion.

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

Hey guys, let me know how these are. I felt like they were pretty good shots, but I'm no photographer and I know a lot of your guys are awesome at it.

EDIT: Chip, that shot in the OP is incredible.

Thanks for the kind words. But your image posts is just what I was hoping for. IMO it is hard not to have some good images from The Wall. Your shots were all great IMO.

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

I think my favorite of those is the one with the Air Cav patch laying there. I can't really say why.

This is way this memorial is so special to so many.

Sometimes is the simplest of things that mean so much.

A re-post from another thread with my favorite image from The Wall.

 

[kjr39]

Only been to the wall once, but it was one of the most moving places I've ever been....

A pic from my trip:

 

[ModestPenguin]

I was in DC in January with a large group for a conference, and while i was there they took us to see all the memorials for a period of about an hour and a half we were fre to look at lincoln veitnam and korea. It was much too short a time. I spent 2/3rds of it at the veitnam memorial, It was an amazing place, Yet strangely unpopluated besides our group.
Here are some shots from that day. This was my first time ever to take photos artistically and it got me hooked. The second one was barely messed with in iPhoto to get the effect. I think I blurred the edges a bit much but i still like how it feels. I was disgusted by how many people were just walking through without looking at the wall, just walking through...old wounds perhaps?


Edit: Repaired the photos.

 

[Heb1228]

Only been to the wall once, but it was one of the most moving places I've ever been....

A pic from my trip:

That is a great shot too.

 

[DZ/015]

I served in the 80's. I knew a few men, one uncle included, who served in Vietnam. I still get weepy whenever I hear taps played, or during Memorial Day parades and services.